Fastening device for folders



May 11, 1937.

D. E. HUNTER ET AL FASTENING DEVICE FOR FOLDERS Filed March 22, 1935 2 SheetsSheet 1 y 1937; D. E. HUNTER ET AL 2,079,740

FASTENING DEVICE FOR FOLDERS Filed March 22, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented May 11 1937 PATENT OFFICE FASTENING DEVICE FOR FOLDERS David E. Hunter Muskegon, Mich,

and Russell assignors to The Shaw- G. Bourdon,

Walker Company, Muskegon, Mich, a corporation of Michigan Application March 22, 1935, Serial No. 12,402

3 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in fastening devices for folders, and more particularly to a novel device for fastening correspondence and like written matter in or to a filing folder.

The fastener herein disclosed is essentially an improvement upon the type shown in an application filed by Russell G. Bourdon on November 5, 1931, bearing Serial No. 513,082, although as will be presently shown, the improved features do not affect the parts of the fastener which hold the contents in the folder as much as they do the method of and means for attaching the fastener to the folder. To explain: It has been found to be of considerable advantage to users to be able to make up filing folders to meet their own requirements and hence there is a need for a style of fastener which can be obtained separately from the folders and readily assembled by a simple manual operation.

The previously disclosed style of fastener does not fully meet this demand inasmuch as a special tool or machine is required in order to apply it to a folder properly, and hence it is better adapted for folders made up with the fastener applied.

Thus the object of the invention is to provide a fastener which can be easily and quickly attached to a folder by hand, and without requiring any special equipment, and further to make it up in a more practical shape for packing and handling in quantity.

The novel features of the fastener are disclosed in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of an open folder showing manner in which the contents are fastened.

Figure 2 is a perspective View of the same folder prior to the attachment of the fastener thereto.

Figure 3 is a top plan view of the main portion of the fastener in its initial form.

Figure 4 is a sectional view of the main portion of the fastener taken on line 4-4 of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a view in side elevation of the main portion of the fastener.

Figures 6 and. 7 are views of thefollower plate in top plan and side elevations, respectively.

Figures 8, 9 and 10 are perspective views of a section of the folder showing the several positions of the fastener in the operation of attaching it to the folder.

Figures 11 and 12 are perspective views showing the method of applying sheets to the fastener.

Figure 13 is an enlarged sectional view taken on line l3-|3 of Figure 1.

The complete fastener consists of two metal parts, namely, a one piece body portion 1 adapted to be attached to a folder and consisting of a single prong 2 having an integral base 3 and a slotted follower plate 4 which is applied to the prong with the sheets or after the same have been im- 5 paled thereon and before the prong is bent over into fastening position.

The main portion I of the fastener is designed to be attached to a folder 5 in any desired position and location, although preferably centered 10 on an oblique line at the upper left-hand corner of the back section of the folder, as shown in Figure 1. Moreover, in making up the folders, especially arranged slits are cut therein to facilitate the attachment of the fastener, and if desired 15 these slits may be cut in different locations on the folder as shown in Figure 2, so that the user may have a choice as to the position of the fastener. The particular arrangement of the slits will be later discussed.

In its initial form the main portion l of the fastener is a substantially flat sheet metal stamping of a general T-shape and consisting of the wide pointed prong and its somewhat irregularly but symmetrically shaped base 3 extending laterally on either side in rounded lobes 3 3 embracing the basal portion of the prong with narrow slots therebetween and terminating in small prong-like projections 3 3 extending in the same direction as the large central prong 2. The lower or bottom edge of the base is preferably curved symmetrically so that its central portion is recessed slightly and the corners of the lobes 3 3 well rounded to the base of the prong-like projections 3 3*. Moreover, the curved edge of the base is turned or bent over slightly to form a shallow, marginal bead or bevel 6 (Figure 4), which as will presently be seen extends throughout that portion of the base which is exposed on the outside of the folder when the fastener is applied. Incidentally the beveling of the edge of the base gives the same a slight convexity on the outer or exposed side of the fastener when applied to the folder, as will later appear.

Referring further to the prong 2, it will be observed that it is offset slightly from the plane of the base 3 by virtue of a shallow and quite abrupt shoulder l at the junction of the prong with the base, the amount of the offset being slightly greater than the thickness of the folder material, and just enough to dispose the two parts in different but parallel planes, as shown in Figures 4 and 5. Moreover, the prong 2 is offset from the base in a direction toward the concave and hence the underside thereof. Also it will be 010- 5 served that the prong-like projections 3 3 on either side of the prong 2 are likewise offset from the base in the same direction as the prong 2 by abrupt shoulders 8, 8 spaced inwardly from the extremities thereof, with the result that these small prongs lie in the same plane as the main prong 2.

To give the prong 2 somewhat greater fiexibility throughout the portion of its length where the bending will take place in the fastening of varying thicknesses of sheets in the folder, the same is provided with a narrow centrally located slot 9 extending lengthwise from a point just above the offset shoulder l at the base outwardly toward its pointed tip, preferably widened at its lower end by transverse notches 9 9 their purpose being to define the lower point of bending beyond and not at the shoulder I.

And finally, in order that the prong will not bend along its base as identified by the shoulder 1 when it is initially bent upwardly after being inserted through the slits in the folder, the metal is weakened or rendered more readily bendable along a transverse line parallel with and spaced outwardly from the shoulder, this line being marked by a pair of laterally opening semicircular notches 9 9 formed at the lower end of the slot and having the effect of widening the same at its base, and, further, by a pair of small holes 9 9 in line with the notches 9 and each spaced midway'between the slot and one of the side edges of the prong.

Now in describing the method of applying the fastener to the folder, the arrangement of the slits should first be noted, namely, a long slit l0 extending diagonally of the corner of the folder and two short slits Ill ll] on either side of the long slit and in a parallel line offset a short distance inwardly toward the center of the folder (Figures 2 and 8).

Referring to Figures 8 to 10, the first step is to present the end of the prong 2 to the longer and centermost slit If) from the outer or under side of the folder, with the convex side of the base facing outwardly and the end of the prong directed toward the center of the folder. The fastener is preferably held fiatwise against the folder during this operation and, by warping the folder slightly, the slit will open to permit the prong to pass through. When practically the full length of the prong 2 has been inserted through its slit, the smaller prongs 3 3 are brought into register with the shorter slits Ill lfi and by tilting the base away from the folder momentarily to .assist their insertion therein, a final push forces the fastener into place, that is, with the leading edge of the long slit it] seating against the shoulder 1 at the base of the main prong 2, and the corresponding edges of the short slits seating against the shoulders 8, 8 of the prongs 3 3 as shown in Figure 9.

Now, bearing in mind that it may be desired to market the folders with the fasteners applied ready for use, this would be preferably carried out by merely inserting the prongs of the main portion of the fastener through the slits in the folder, the prong 2 remaining fiatwise as shown in Figure 9, the idea being that folders would then be shipped and stored in a more compact manner and only when a folder is put into use would the prong be bent upwardly and a follower plate added. Under these circumstances it is essential that the fastener proper be securely locked in place merely by inserting the prongs through the slits and without'bending the prong 2, so that it will not be displaced prior to the time the folder is put into use. This preliminary locking action takes place when the fastener is finally forced home after the prongs are inserted in the slits and by reason of the interlocking connection afforded by the shoulders l and 8 formed at the base of the main prong 2 and at the tips of the short prongs 3 3 respectively. In this way the fastener is anchored in place without positive locking means or the necessity for using tools for its initial application to the folder.

And finally, as already suggested, to put the folder into use it is only necessary to bend the prong upwardly by hand into its vertical or upstanding position as shown in Figure 10, it being particularly noted that in so doing the bending takes place along the line defined by the notches 9 and the holes 9 for the reason already explained, and not along the line marking the upper edge of the shoulder '5. Thus it will be seen that after completing the upward bending of the prong, its basal portion assumes a somewhat S-shape at and just beyond the point where it passes through the slit Ill, thus forming an additional shoulder 9 facing downwardly and bearing upon the folder just beyond the slit, as clearly shown in Figure 13.

In this manner the fastener becomes even more firmly anchored to the folder and prevents it from being dislodged or Worked loose while in use. Moreover, the combined locking action of the shoulders I and 9 at the lower end of the prong tends to draw the base 3 tightly against the underside of the folder, whereupon its exposed beveled edges prevent sheets of paper and other folders from being caught and wedged beneath the base, in the ordinary handling of the folder.

Thus with the fastener anchored in place and the prong 2 bent upwardly, sheets of paper II may be entered in the folder by pressing them one or more at a time against the pointed end of the prong so that it pierces the corners at a point such that the sheets will be secured with their edges symmetrically with the edges of the folder, whereupon the follower plate 4 is threaded onto the prong and the latter then bent over and preferably in a direction toward the corner as shown in Figure 1. The principal function of the follower plate is to apply a binding pressure upon the folder contents when the prong is bent into fastening position, and hence in its simplest form consists of a flat piece of sheet metal elongated in one direction and having a slot 4 located inwardly from one of its longitudinal edges and dimensioned to fit the prong 2. If desired, domelike projections 4 4* may be pressed in the metal at each end of the slot to increase the pressure exerted thereby when the prong is bent over. The end portions may also be bent upwardly as at 4 to facilitate handling.

It may be stated, however, that in applying a sheet or sheets to the prong, the follower plate may be previously placed upon the sheet at the approximate point where the prong will penetrate the corner of the sheet, and then by holding the sheet and follower plate together, they are presented to the pointed end of the prong as shown in Figure H, so that the sheet will be pierced at the point already defined by the position of the slot 4 However, no novelty is claimed for the particular formation of follower plate herein shown, inasmuch as our disclosure is concerned more particularly with the fastener per se. It

may be added that the fastener can also be ap- 75 plied to a single sheet of stiff paper called a fileback, instead of a two-section folder as shown.

Having thus disclosed the novel features of the fastener, we claim as our invention:

1. A paper fastener consisting of a substantially flat T-shaped stamping forming a single sheet piercing prong and an integral base plate extending transversely of the prong and offset slightly from the plane thereof, said base plate having small prong-like projections on either side of said prong and extending parallel therewith, the tips of said projections being offset from the plane of said base and toward the plane of said prong.

2. A paper fastener consisting initially of a substantially flat stamping forming a single broad pointed prong and an integral base offset slightly from the plane of said prong at their junction,

and a pair of smaller prongs projecting from said base on opposite sides of said first mentioned prong and having their tips offset into the plane of said first mentioned prong.

3. A metal paper fastener consisting initially of a substantially fiat T-shaped stamping forming a single large prong and a transverse base integral therewith, said prong and base being offset in parallel planes along a relatively abrupt shoulder at the junction thereof and said base having small prongs on either side of the basal portion of said first mentioned prong with spaces therebetween with the tip ends thereof offset to lie substantially in the plane of said first mentioned prong.

DAVID E. HUNTER. RUSSELL G. BOURDON. 

